Miranda Yeager, Chief Client Officer at Gateway Health Partners, is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience driving innovation and excellence in healthcare. With a multifaceted background spanning account management, sales, product development, operations, and clinical management, Miranda has established herself as a pace-setter in the industry.
With her background supporting health plans, PBMs, specialty pharmacy, and others, Miranda excels at identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in partners’ go-to-market strategies. Her strategic insight and leadership are instrumental in managing client relationships and driving collaborative growth. In her role, she oversees account management and clinical services teams to ensure optimal outcomes for clients.
At Gateway Health Partners, Miranda is dedicated to combining her business acumen with technical expertise to deliver unparalleled client service. Her passion for fostering deep relationships based on transparency, authenticity, and radical candor sets her apart as a leader in the field. Under her guidance, Gateway Health Partners has become known for delivering best-in-class service and lowest net cost through a unique “stand-alone” pharmaceutical purchasing model.
Miranda’s impressive career includes roles at CatalystRx Health Solutions (later Catamaran) and WellPoint/Anthem. Early in her career, she served as Director of Clinical Pharmacy at BCBS of North Carolina. She holds a pharmacy degree from Auburn University and a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Policy and Evaluative Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, underscoring her commitment to continuous learning and excellence in her field.
A Pillar of Strength and Compassion
Miranda is known for her level-headedness and maintaining a calm demeanor in challenging situations. Many see her as a stabilizing presence both at work and in personal matters. Miranda’s strengths are seen as articulateness, clarity, precision, and the ability to foster consensus on complex issues. Miranda is approachable and genuine, prioritizing responsiveness and loyalty to her clients. Beyond her professional life, she is dedicated to her roles as a wife, stepmother, dog owner, daughter, and sister. She actively engages in volunteer work like providing music to people with disabilities and distributing Thanksgiving meals to families in need. In her leisure time, Miranda enjoys word games, puzzles, and is a passionate fan of Carolina Hurricanes hockey and Alabama football.
A Dynamic Journey
Miranda’s journey in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry has been diverse and enriching. She began her career as a pharmacist, gaining valuable experience in retail before transitioning to a role as a sales representative for Glaxo, now known as Glaxo SmithKline. It was during this time that Miranda honed skills such as preparedness and effective presentation, which she continues to utilize today.
Feeling the need to deepen her understanding of the healthcare system, Miranda pursued further education, earning her master’s degree focused on pharmacoeconomics. This led her to roles in consulting and eventually to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, where she played a pivotal role in transitioning the pharmacy plan to a more managed care system.
Miranda’s desire to be on the forefront of providing pharmacy solutions led her to join WellPoint in 2000, which later merged with Anthem and then was acquired by Express Scripts. Over the span of a decade, Miranda contributed significantly to various aspects of pharmacy benefit management, from responding to proposals to managing client accounts and implementing Medicare Part D.
In 2010, Miranda took on a new challenge by joining Catalyst, where she oversaw state and government account management. Through mergers and transitions, she remained committed to her role, eventually joining Gateway Health Partners to help develop and expand their client services program. Miranda’s experience working with companies of varying sizes, from large corporations to startups, has equipped her with a unique entrepreneurial mindset, enabling her to drive growth and achieve key milestones for Gateway HealthPartners.
Gender-Neutral Leadership
Miranda’s perspective on growth and development transcends gender distinctions. For her, it’s a continuous process, independent of gender identity. She emphasizes the importance of staying updated with evolving skills, technologies, and approaches, both within and outside the industry. Over her extensive career, she’s witnessed significant transformations and understands the necessity of staying ahead of the curve.
When considering qualities for emerging leaders, Miranda prioritizes a balance of confidence and humility. While confidence in one’s abilities is crucial, she values the humility to recognize opportunities for further learning. Hunger for knowledge and growth, coupled with confidence devoid of arrogance, are traits she seeks in new leaders. Additionally, she values adaptability and a willingness to undertake diverse tasks within one’s capabilities.
Strong communication skills are paramount to Miranda when identifying potential leaders. She believes in fostering a culture of transparency where withholding information for personal gain is discouraged. Moreover, she emphasizes the importance of delivering difficult messages with tact and clarity, recognizing the impact of effective communication on organizational culture and growth.
Keys to Success
Miranda attributes several factors to her success throughout her career. One crucial aspect is her ability to listen attentively and speak purposefully, rather than feeling the need to dominate discussions. She understands the value of restraint and believes that speaking only when necessary, commands greater respect and attention.
In her role in client services, Miranda’s success stems from her proactive approach to problem-solving. Instead of dismissing unfamiliar requests, she seeks ways to accommodate clients’ needs, fostering a culture of innovation and flexibility. Additionally, Miranda advocates for herself, her team and her clients, championing growth, change, and improvement while nurturing strong relationships.
Miranda’s success is attributed to her fearless embrace of new challenges and her steadfast refusal to succumb to complacency. She firmly rejects phrases like “that’s not my job” and “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” understanding the criticality of growth and innovation. Her willingness to push boundaries and explore uncharted territories has propelled her forward, distinguishing her as a dynamic and forward-thinking leader. Miranda thrives on the thrill of tackling new obstacles, viewing them not as roadblocks but as opportunities for personal and professional development.
In Miranda’s worldview, complacency is the enemy of progress. She champions a culture of continuous improvement, constantly seeking out fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. By embracing change and challenging the status quo, Miranda has cultivated a legacy of success that inspires those around her to strive for greatness.
Transitioning to her values, Miranda prioritizes honesty and transparent communication, preferring to be informed early rather than being caught off guard. She values hard work and commitment to shared group values, fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration. Miranda also treasures fresh perspectives and diverse voices, understanding that innovation thrives in environments where ideas are challenged and different viewpoints are embraced.
Role as Chief Client Officer
As Chief Client Officer at Gateway Health Partners, Miranda’s oversees the account management and clinical services team to ensure clients receive optimal outcomes. Gateway Health Partners is the largest rebate and formulary management services provider in the United States. Miranda and her team support the company’s end-to-end approach to pharmacy management tailoring client services and emphasizing the importance of trust, predictability and transparency in building and maintaining strong client relationships.
Miranda works closely with clients to understand their objectives and collaborates on strategies to meet their needs effectively. She finds joy in problem-solving, whether it’s addressing organizational challenges or devising innovative solutions for clients. Miranda’s goal is to ensure that every party involved feels like a winner by creating unique resolutions to emerging opportunities.
Promoting Proactive Problem-Solving
Miranda holds a strong stance against organizational cultures that glorify individual heroics. She believes that relying on heroes to swoop in and save the day at the last minute indicates deeper systemic issues within the company. Instead, she advocates for a culture that values proactive problem-solving and early identification of issues.
At Gateway, Miranda appreciates a culture that rewards individuals for identifying and addressing problems before they escalate into crises. She believes in fostering an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up about issues and mistakes, promoting forward-thinking and collaboration.
For Miranda, a successful organization is one where everyone understands their roles and responsibilities and works together to address challenges proactively. By encouraging open communication and a shared sense of accountability, Gateway aims to prevent the need for heroic interventions and instead focuses on collective problem-solving and continuous improvement.
Prioritizing Soft Skills
Miranda firmly believes in hiring for soft skills and training for hard skills. When she joined Gateway, she lacked specific knowledge about formulary and rebate management, the company’s primary focus. However, her strong client management and team leadership abilities allowed her to excel in her role. Therefore, when recruiting new team members, Miranda prioritizes soft skills such as communication and flexibility over technical expertise.
It’s crucial for potential hires to align with Gateway’s culture of mutual respect, trust, and collaboration. Miranda emphasizes the importance of finding individuals who prioritize teamwork and are dedicated to driving the company’s overall goals forward. Egos have no place at Gateway, as the company values humility and a focus on collective success.
During interviews, Miranda assesses candidates’ problem-solving approaches, seeking individuals who are proactive in seeking solutions and comfortable reaching out for assistance when needed. She distinguishes between candidates who merely relay information and those who actively work towards resolving issues. Additionally, Miranda delves into candidates’ motivations and sources of accomplishment, preferring those who derive pride from team achievements rather than individual accomplishments.
Miranda seeks team members who embody Gateway’s collaborative spirit, possess strong soft skills, and are committed to contributing to the company’s success in a supportive and team-oriented manner.
Taking Risks and Finding Fulfillment
The greatest risk Miranda ever took was leaving a job without another lined up and taking nearly a year off to reevaluate her career priorities. Working for a company whose values didn’t align with her own left her feeling drained and disheartened. However, despite the uncertainty, Miranda found the opportunity to reset her career to be revitalizing and enlightening.
During her year off, Miranda explored various aspects of potential careers and rediscovered the importance of personal connections and community service, which had taken a back seat during her career-focused period. This break also allowed her to realign her professional priorities and seek out a workplace that valued a customer-first approach across all departments.
Joining Gateway provided Miranda with the perfect balance she was seeking. She found fulfillment in working with colleagues who prioritized client satisfaction while also allowing her to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Looking ahead, Miranda hopes to continue making a positive impact on Gateway’s clients and nurturing the skills of her team members. Additionally, she aims to expand her involvement in community service, particularly in mentoring young professionals and supporting underserved populations.
Diversity in Leadership
Miranda learned early in her career that some leaders expect their team members to replicate their own methods and behaviors in their roles. However, she found this approach to be frustrating for both the leader and the team members. Instead, Miranda believes in recognizing and respecting individual differences and approaches to the job.
As a leader, Miranda understands that diversity in approaches doesn’t necessarily equate to being wrong; it simply means being different. She emphasizes the importance of appreciating and embracing these differences rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach. Forcing team members to conform to a specific way of doing things can lead to dissatisfaction and hinder productivity.
Miranda advocates for providing guidance and support to team members while allowing them the autonomy to find their own approach to their roles. By fostering an environment that values individuality and creativity, leaders can empower their team members to thrive and contribute effectively to the organization.
Leadership Philosophy
Miranda emphasizes that one’s title doesn’t define them entirely; they remain employees and team members first and foremost. As a leader, it’s crucial to ensure the success and growth of every team member. While individual contributors focus solely on their own achievements, leaders must prioritize the success of their team.
Acknowledging and giving credit where it’s due is paramount for effective leadership. Taking credit for others’ work undermines their contributions and diminishes their sense of accomplishment. Miranda believes in removing obstacles for her team so they can thrive and experience the satisfaction of a job well done.
Gateway Health Partners understands that its people are its most important resources. For example, leaders at Gateway leverage all resources including their team of experts and industry-wide relationships, to develop solutions that work for its clients. According to Miranda, understanding and embodying the culture and values of the company is essential for new leaders.
Finding a supportive network, or “tribe,” is invaluable for leadership development. Miranda values her trusted mentor and other women in leadership roles, drawing inspiration from their successes and incorporating relevant leadership styles into her own approach.
Miranda also underscores the importance of continuous learning and growth, both for oneself and for others. Leadership isn’t the end of the journey; it’s a continuous process of learning, listening, and supporting others to succeed.
